


Trust Me

by Danudane



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: F/M, Graphic Description, Hurt/Comfort, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 18:05:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5137481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danudane/pseuds/Danudane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Trust" Prompt. A re-working of the failed mission that Evie and Henry go on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust Me

Thunder rumbled and split the air with a crack, and had they not been on the rooftops Henry would have sworn there was a whip at his back. He followed close behind Evie, careful not to fall too far behind. The pair of assassins had their hoods up in an attempt to keep the driving rain out of their eyes, which had only proved partially successful. He was far uncomfortable enough just being soaked, and was sure he looked like a stray cat that had just climbed out of the Thames.  
Why this plan of attack on the Blighters could not wait until fairer weather he was unsure, but still he did not complain. He had settled only on doing so if Evie made a mention of it first. 

The crack of a shingle snapping under his weight and tumbling down the roof instantly refocused his attention, and he nearly slipped down and over the side of the building. A quiet curse left his mouth at that same second, and Henry took a moment to regain his balance. 

“Be careful!” Evie whispered, almost harshly. It seemed she was not a fan of this weather either. 

Henry withheld an explanation and simply moved forward, indeed more cautious of where he put his feet. 

Finally, it seemed, they reached their intended destination. Henry simply observed as Evie stopped and perched precariously over the edge. Where he could make out only the faintest of silhouettes below, he had no doubt Evie could see them perfectly. It was no secret that both she and her brother shared the second sight, as other great assassins had. Truthfully, Henry was quite jealous of the twins and their ability. 

“There are ten of them. And a few more are standing by the carriage, just there-” She paused to point to a single horse drawn carriage, nearly impossible to see as it was sitting under a covered extension of the building. “-three more of them, to be precise.” Evie then scanned the rooftops, but was not surprised in the lack of snipers. Even the best shot would have trouble hitting much of anything in this foul weather. 

“I still cannot see them very well, which means I certainly won’t be of much help from up here.” He began. Henry did not doubt Evie’s skill, but instinct told him to not like these odds. It was thirteen to two, should something happen and all the Blighters be alerted at once. Henry would not be able to calm his nerves until they evened those odds a bit. “I will take out the three by the carriage, and signal you once they are out of the picture.” His assured tone masked the growing knot in his stomach. The last time he had attempted a similar mission, he’d ended up compromising the Brotherhood.  
This time there was no team of assassins, and it was only Evie’s safety he worried about. 

“Are you sure? I could go down first.” She offered, glancing back down at the group of Blighters once more. 

“Trust me.” Henry replied, giving a final nod and setting their plan into motion. He climbed down quietly, careful not to slip again as he made his way to ground level.  
Evie stood at the ready, tensing as she watched Henry move towards the Blighters near the carriage.  
If the situation went awry she would have to get to him quickly, knowing the rival gang would not hesitate to attack. 

One by one, however, she watched the three red auras flicker and fade as Henry dispatched them. “Good job...” Evie whispered, but just as she praised him things took a sudden turn for the worse.  
The horse that had been standing relatively quiet beforehand gave an unexpected whinny in fright- as if having been spooked- and lunged forward. 

Immediately she watched the Blighters turn, their full attention in the direction of the disturbance. 

“Shit-” Evie cursed, and sprang into action. The rope dart fired from her gauntlet and plunked into one of the building’s faces below. She ziplined down, and hit the ground just behind the distracted Blighters. In an instant she’d severed two of the gang’s spinal cords with a precise stab of her hidden blades. Two down, but there were eight left.  
“Fight, Henry!” She called to him, his aura green amongst the sea of red. 

There were four on him as soon as she’d called out, including a brute of a man who stood at least a head taller than anyone else.  
Evie saw Henry backpedal, his eyes wide with what could only be some remembered fear. 

“Henry, fight them damnit!” She commanded him, as the last of the Blighters reached her. Her attention was forced upon them, dodging the slashes and thrusts of their knives. One of them pulled a pistol, but she countered with a step to the side and a cut to the man’s arm. Her kukri bit deep and the Blighter dropped his weapon. Before he could react her hidden blade found its way up under his chin, killing him in mere seconds.  
Evie wasted no time in finding her next target. She spun around and under the slash of a particularly rusty cleaver, once more burying her blades deep within the enemy’s body. This second man crumpled forward as the kukri tore irreparable damage through multiple organs. He fell off her blade and to the ground with a resounding thud, only to be replaced by a third Blighter.  
This time, a woman faced her. She was quicker and lighter than her previous comrades, and was upon Evie in a flash. 

“I’ll bleed you like a stuck pig!” The Blighter prattled, as she swung the sharp end of a cane sword at the assassin. 

Evie did not waste time or effort in exchanging words. She had one thing on her mind- getting back to Henry. Sounds of fighting a few yards away were only slightly muffled by the rain, but with two enemies still attempting to kill her she could not spare a glance.  
She jumped back at the final Blighter’s advance, after the woman called out to surround her. Evie showed no signs of dismay, only fighting harder to finish these two enemies off before it was too late.  
Feinting to the side before lunging forward at the woman, Evie caught her off guard, and drove her shoulder into the woman’s chest. Stunned, the woman fell back, giving Evie just enough time to spin around and then dodge the fourth Blighter’s knife. Expecting to land a hit, the final man had put too much momentum into the thrust. Evie used this against him, and merely had to let his exposed torso to meet her kukri. The squelch of blade parting flesh and letting blood was drowned by the rain, but the Blighter woman’s cry of frustration was not. She’d gotten back up and run at Evie, slashing wildly. 

The cane sword’s blade came too close for comfort as Evie re-engaged her. The tip of the blade caught and sliced through the edge and rim of her hood, but only left a small cut along Evie’s cheek for all the effort.  
A punch from Evie’s metal knuckled gloves sent the Blighter reeling in return, forcing her back once more. 

Evie did not so much as grimace as the stinging in her cheek grew. It was a minor wound, but enough to remind her never to underestimate an enemy. Perhaps she had just become too distracted-

A cry of pain escaped from the other group of fighters, and Evie was sure it was Henry.  
Evie only doubled her attack and within seconds the Blighter woman was stumbling back a final time, clutching at a massive wound at her neck. Blood poured from the slit, the flow nearly uninterrupted, even by the woman’s hands gripping tightly around it. 

Evie wasted no time in rushing past the dying Blighter and straight towards Henry, who was still surrounded. Henry had brought one of the four down already, a second was staggering away from the fight with a deep wound to the gut, but the third and fourth had managed to land hits. One Blighter’s knife was protruding from Henry’s shoulder, as the final- a giant of a man- picked Henry up and threw him into a nearby pile of crates. 

“Henry!” Evie screamed, watching helplessly as he was tossed aside like a rag doll. In her fury she threw a knife from her belt, and it hit the now weaponless Blighter right between the eyes. The man fell without even making a sound, dead before he hit the muddy dirt.  
It was the last enemy that would prove most challenging. He dwarfed her, and all she knew was that she couldn’t let him get his hands on her.  
For all his bulk, the man was faster than he looked, and Evie felt the air rush by her as she dodged his fists. He roared like an angry animal as she avoided his swings. 

He might have been quick, but Evie was quicker. Once more she tightened her grip on the gold decorated kukri that had become her most trusty weapon- perhaps aside from the hidden blades at her wrists.  
She fought back with multiple slashes to the Blighter’s arms and legs, trying to bleed him and wear him down. 

What was only moments seemed to drag on, but finally the huge man was beginning to fatigue. Evie did not show it as much, but she was as well. She had to end this now. Taking a few steps back, she drew her pistol and pointed it right at the Blighter’s head. She pulled the trigger, but the pistol did not fire. A tell-tale click instead of a boom meant it was jammed. Likely the rain had done it, getting the inside too wet to set the gun off properly. 

The Blighter knocked the gun out of her grip with a back-handed slap, and it skidded across the ground.  
Huffing like a wounded bull, he rushed forward in a final attempt to get the upper hand. Within an instant the tables had turned and the Blighter was not going to waste the chance.

Evie braced herself for impact, but it never came. Instead the Blighter wavered and toppled over, his momentum carrying him just past Evie before he hit the ground, creating a small wake of muddy water before coming to a stop.  
She stared at the knife embedded in the back of the brute’s head, before her gaze followed it back to its origin point. 

Henry was standing, barely, and leaning heavily on what remained of the stack of crates he’d managed to crawl out from. He was breathing harshly, not able to hide the discomfort that came with each intake.  
He clutched tightly to the fabric at his bloodied shoulder, and despite the knife throw that had saved Evie a nasty blow, he looked utterly defeated. 

Evie rushed to him, immediately helping to support his weight as she pulled him away from the crates. Small shards of wood had stuck into his clothing and were sticking out at odd angles, but Henry did not seem to be paying them any mind. It was the knife would in his shoulder that was most pressing. That, well, and the look on his face. 

“Let me see.” She prompted him to pull his hand away from his shoulder, and as gently as she could Evie attempted to inspect it. The knife wound looked deep enough to cause problems if not seen to right away, and so they had no choice but to leave.  
She glanced at him before they began to move- slowly but surely- though Henry’s expression did not change. 

“Henry, what’s wrong?” She asked, pausing for a moment. Worry struck her that Henry was maybe hiding a worse injury. 

“I…failed the mission.” He admitted quietly, through pained breaths. They had been there in a first place to either reclaim certain documents, or see them destroyed otherwise.  
With all the Blighters dead, and his condition forcing them to abandon their search, he had been the cause of their failure. 

Evie could not deny Henry’s words, and though she was frustrated, that particular emotion had been pushed to the back of her mind.  
“I will send Jacob back to look for clues. The Rooks will likely take over this area, we may yet find what we came for.” She started, her tone matter-of-factly, until it softened. “You are far more important that a few documents.” Evie assured him, but just as she moved to adjust her grip on him, Henry’s legs nearly gave out. 

“Hold on.” Evie half carried him along a bit quicker, soon making it to the carriage that had been the start of all the misfortune. The horse snorted and pawed at the mud, eager to get out of the rain.  
Evie hardly felt sorry for it at the moment, knowing it would have to wait a bit longer. 

“Here, it’s just a step.” She encouraged Henry, who had begun to shake. Whether it was because of the cold or shock she did not know, but neither answer boded well.  
He nearly collapsed on the floor of the carriage, his eyes screwed shut in pain.

Evie climbed over him to sit on the bench inside, reaching down to cradle his head in one hand and pulling out a vial of medicine in the other. The stuff was incredibly bitter and smelled even worse than it tasted, but she hoped it might help Henry even temporarily. “Here, take this…” Evie started, gently, before pressing the vial to his lips. 

He gagged and coughed as the repugnant liquid slid down his throat, but managed to swallow it only because Evie asked him to. A dissatisfied groan was all that followed, and he attempted to regain control of his breathing. 

Controlling pain was easy in theory, and something Henry had read about countless times in his books. In practice, however, it was much harder than the texts had suggested. 

Evie had climbed back out of the carriage and closed the door behind her, quickly moving to the driver’s seat and taking the reins. Her first thought was to get back to the train- to get Henry back into a safe and familiar place. This, however, was out of the question. The train was likely to be far away by now, and she could not force Henry to wait that long. 

Without another moment’s hesitation she spurred the horse on, driving them to Florence Nightingale’s residence.  
The only luck they had seem to come onto was that the roads were practically empty at this time of night, only the occasional other carriage which Evie deftly maneuvered around.  
Still, it took longer than she would have liked to arrive, as she had not wanted to drive too fast and rattle Henry around in the back seat any more than necessary. 

Evie thanked Creed that there were still some candles lit by the windows when she pulled up to their destination. This time she was forced to carry Henry to the door, as he was too weak and delirious to stand on his own.  
A few heavy kicks to the door was sufficient enough, Evie assumed, and was soon proven correct. 

Florence opened the door only a minute or two later, holding another candle up just long enough to see who it was. 

“I can’t say I am surprised to see you.” She started, though there was a clear look of concern on her face. 

“I’m not hurt, he is.” She practically begged Florence for her help without even saying it. 

“I can see, bring him in.” Florence ushered them in, helping Evie support Henry as they brought him to the nearest vacant room. 

As they laid him down on the bed, Henry briefly regained some amount of coherence. “E-Evie? Where….where are we?” He reached for her weakly, as if holding to her might soothe him. 

“Florence Nightingale’s. She’s going to fix you up.” Evie immediately moved to kneel by his bedside, and took his hand in hers. It was only partial relief that came when he forced a smile and nodded, before lying still once more. 

The older nurse had seen enough battlefield wounds to guess correctly as she looked Henry over. The shoulder wound was most likely a stab wound, but a closer inspection would be needed.  
“If you want to help, take those gloves off and wash your hands, just there.” Florence motioned towards a large metal washbowl that sat in a vanity a few feet away. She stood, then, and started a fire in the small fireplace to heat up more water. Practiced as she was, it only took her a couple minutes to collect everything she would need, and then she returned to Henry’s side. 

Evie approached as well, exhausted but showing no intention of getting rest until Henry was seen to. She rolled up her sleeves and pulled up a stool beside the bed, waiting on Florence’s instructions. 

“Help me undress him.” The older nurse started, and they worked together to quickly remove the armor and accessories that Henry had donned.  
Underneath the layers of white cloth, the real damage was revealed. Both of the women noted bruised sides, and Florence prodded at them just long enough to determine that although they were likely very sore, none of his ribs were broken. “Bruised ribs, but no breaks.” She began to list off the injuries in a tone that only someone with years of clinical experience would use. 

Evie sighed at the first observation, feeling more responsible than before. If she had been quicker-

“Single puncture wound to the left shoulder.” Florence continued, regaining Evie’s attention with her words and a glance.  
She spent the next few minutes both examining and cleaning out the injury in question, before finally stitching it up. The line of sutures was a tight and even set of eight, her practiced technique ensuring less risk of infection and therefore faster healing. A few wraps of bandages around his shoulder was the last step before she stood up.

Only now Evie had remembered the splinters of wood, but after another look had been relieved to see they had indeed only gotten stuck in Henry’s clothes. 

Florence made a final move, checking Henry’s temperature with the back of her hand. There seemed to be no onset of fever, which only added to a good prognosis.  
“With some rest and care, he will be just fine.” She reported to Evie, who had been diligently watching the entire process. “Now, promise me you’ll get out of those wet clothes.” Florence had left for a moment only to come back with a simple spare nightgown, before retreating back to her own room entirely. 

Evie nodded, almost having forgotten how rain soaked they were. The nightgown would have to do until her own clothes dried, and she pulled them off to hang over a chair by the fire to do just that.  
Now that Henry was taken care of, her adrenaline had begun to wear off. She was now feeling her exhaustion setting in. She pulled her stool closer to Henry’s bedside and gently took his hand in hers once more. His skin was warm and he was no longer shaking, but it still hurt her to see him in this condition in the first place. 

Bright morning light filtered in through the thin curtained windows, prompting Evie to wake. She sat up with a start, not even having remembered falling asleep the night before.  
In front of her laid Henry’s still sleeping form, and much to her relief he looked far more comfortable now than he had last night. 

“Henry.” She whispered, brushing a few wisps of his dark hair back and out of his face. 

He stirred with a small groan, and slowly his eyes opened. His eyes immediately met hers, and he smiled tiredly. 

“Ms. Frye…” Henry mumbled, turning his head towards her hand. “Please tell me you did not sit here all night...” He glanced up and down at what must have been an uncomfortable position. 

“Someone had to look after you, Mr. Green.” Evie adopted the same formalities, but with a tone that hopefully remind Henry they weren’t needed any longer.  
She gave a small laugh soon afterwards, and admitted the truth. “Not awake, at least. I fell asleep at some point.” She sat up straight and stretched, her back protesting at the corrective measure. 

He still looked worried for her, even with all he’d been through. 

“I am fine, I promise.” Evie’s smile widened just a little. Henry was considerate as always, even when he was not feeling his best. “If you had not thrown that knife I might have ended up in a bed just like you.” She admitted, referring to the big man that had nearly bowled her over the night before. 

“Evie...” Henry started, his expression returning partially to show the guilt he’d felt. 

“We don’t win every battle, Henry. It’s simply a fact of life.” She replied, her hand tightening around his once more.  
“…Thank you.” He nodded again, quietly, grateful to not have to listen through some endless lecture about failure. A lecture he had already gotten years ago from the Brotherhood.

His gaze did not leave Evie for a long time afterwards, comforted by her presence. Next time, he promised, he would not fail her.


End file.
